Extreme heat is making parts of the NHS an “impossible and inhumane” place to work and receive care, the RCN says. We’re calling for an urgent programme to heat-proof facilities across health and care services in response to climate change.
Calls to the RCN helpline report staff collapsing on shift, experiencing heat-related seizures, and pregnant nursing staff working in temperatures above 30°C. Many say they’re working without access to air conditioning, fans or even adequate ventilation.
We know these testimonies are just a glimpse into what nursing staff are experiencing throughout the heatwave. We want you to tell us your experience of working during this summer and whether you think your government is doing enough to protect patients and staff.
We’re also urging governments across the UK to reduce emissions and play a leading role on the global stage in the fight against global warming.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said: “Swathes of the NHS and social care estate are in disrepair following decades of underinvestment, and are utterly unprepared for extreme temperatures. It’s becoming an impossible and inhumane place to work or receive care, with vulnerable patients, including the elderly and those recovering from surgery, receiving care in temperatures that risk making them sicker. It's unacceptable.”
While there’s no upper legal limit on workplace temperatures, employers have a legal duty to ensure workplaces are safe, temperatures are reasonable, and that any necessary mitigations are in place.
However, the calls from nursing staff reveal a widespread lack of functioning air conditioning, fans or ventilation. Windows often do not open, while leadership in several places refused requests for air conditioning or to relax uniform rules to allow staff to cope better.
Calls to the RCN’s helpline paint a troubling picture of NHS workplaces across the UK during the heatwave.
- Members report collapsing from dehydration, experiencing heat-related seizures and becoming physically unwell while caring for patients.
- Older and more vulnerable patients are being left in hot, stuffy rooms, while surgical patients are recovering in temperatures exceeding 30°C.
- Medicines, blood products and clinical equipment are having to be relocated to prevent overheating and maintain safety standards.
Nicola added: "Climate change is a serious threat to people's health and the services they rely on. That's why we need action, not in two or three years, but now, to prioritise and accelerate investment to upgrade facilities, adapting to the climate crisis as temperatures rise.
“Employers must also abide by their legal duties to make workplaces safe, by mitigating the risks to staff from the heat. This includes installing air conditioning, improving ventilation, ensuring water and heat-appropriate uniforms are available and guaranteeing risk assessments are a core part of business planning, especially for pregnant or vulnerable workers.
“We also need specific actions to protect those working in the community, who often are travelling in hot cars, with little accessible parking and left to walk long distances carrying heavy bags to meet patients."
